Safety in Mind

In the aftermath of the tragic injury to Chelsea’s Petr Cech, who suffered a depressed fracture of the skull in the first minute of the game against Reading, there has been long and heated debate about the question of protective headgear for goalkeepers.

Inevitably, the discussions have attracted a number of brainless contributors anxious to dismiss any development on the grounds that the game is less dangerous than it was in the good (?) old days and in any case goalkeepers are already over-protected, especially as serious injuries are few and far between.

For obvious reasons, such individuals as these are the last people on earth whose views should be sought on anything affecting the head and what is in it. No doubt they would argue that in the airline industry there is no point in researching and implementing improved safety features procedures because aircraft do not often crash.

The truth is that one serious head injury is one too many and anything that can be done to prevent or to mitigate a repetition should be a matter of serious consideration. And if a helpful parallel is required, we need look no further than the game of cricket, where in recent times enormous strides have been made in equipping batsmen, wicket keepers and even fielders in a way that effectively reduces the risk of trauma.

Experienced goalkeepers such as Arsenal’s Jens Lehmann and Liverpool’s Pepe Reina have been quick to advocate the introduction of appropriate safety provision and there is no doubt that many (including Petr Cech) would agree with them, particularly if the use of protective headgear is optional.

And before the Neanderthal element blunders in to protest yet again, it should consider two pertinent questions. What harm can it do? And more importantly, what harm might it prevent?